Chapter 10: The Suddenly Enlightened Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing
Zhao Wuji swallowed hard, saying gruffly, "The Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword, that's... that's..."
He kept saying "that's" for a long time, unable to find a suitable word to describe the shock in his heart.
Yu Xiaogang's expression became unprecedentedly solemn, even tinged with paleness.
The ranking of the Seven Kill Sword was like a heavy hammer, smashing fiercely onto his theories.
He had always believed that the Clear Sky Hammer and the Seven Kill Sword were the Peak Tool Spirits, equally matched.
But now, the Seven Kill Sword was only ranked fifteenth!
What about the Clear Sky Hammer?
How far down would it be ranked?
His previous confident assertion of being "Top Three" now sounded somewhat ridiculous.
Tang San tightly clenched his fists, his fingertips turning slightly white from the force.
He was similarly deeply shaken by this ranking.
He had heard of the strength of Sword Douluo Chen Xin; he was an opponent his father had solemnly mentioned.
Yet the Martial Soul of such a powerful expert was only ranked fifteenth in the Heavenly Dao's judgment?
"Teacher..."
Tang San looked at Yu Xiaogang, his eyes full of inquiry.
Yu Xiaogang took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and said in a deep voice, "Little San, don't let the ranking affect your state of mind. We have no way of knowing the standards of the Heavenly Dao Ranking; perhaps the criteria it judges are not solely based on attack power."
"Your Clear Sky Hammer is still a top-tier Martial Soul."
"Right now, what we need to do is wait patiently and prepare for everything."
Although he said this, a cloud of gloom had already settled over the hearts of the Shrek Academy members.
Big Dipper Academy, Central Plaza.
The golden heavenly curtain in the sky slowly faded, sinking back into silence after announcing the ranking of the Seven Kill Sword.
Ning Rongrong's delicate little face was currently filled with confusion and disbelief.
Her cherry lips were slightly parted, unable to close for a long time.
She rubbed her eyes hard, then looked up at the sky, which had returned to tranquility.
As if wanting to confirm whether she had misheard just now.
"Grandpa Sword's Seven Kill Sword... fifteenth place? Grandpa Bone's Bone Dragon... seventeenth place?"
She muttered to herself, her voice carrying a hint of doubt.
"How is this possible? Grandpa Sword's Seven Kill Sword is supposed to be the number one offensive Tool Spirit in the World!
"And Grandpa Bone's Bone Dragon spatial ability is so elusive; how could it... how could it be ranked so low?"
She suddenly turned her head to look at Lu Xiao, who was still lazily lying in the rocking chair, and asked perplexedly, "Dean, what exactly is going on? Grandpa Sword's and Grandpa Bone's Martial Souls are so powerful, why are their rankings so low? Did the Heavenly Dao Ranking make a mistake?"
Her voice was filled with confusion.
If even Grandpa Sword's and Grandpa Bone's Martial Souls could only rank outside the top fifteen, then what about her Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda?
Although it had evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and its quality greatly increased.
But ultimately, it was still a support system Martial Soul, and it didn't seem to hold an advantage in terms of pure attack power or strangeness.
Didn't that mean...
Her previously confident spot in the Top Ten was also in jeopardy?
The moment she considered this possibility, Ning Rongrong's heart sank sharply.
Lu Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids, merely rolling over lazily and mumbling indistinctly.
"The Heavenly Dao Ranking has its own logic. Isn't a low ranking good? Didn't you receive the reward? Improving your strength is what truly matters."
"But..."
Ning Rongrong wanted to ask further, but a cold hand beside her gently pulled her back.
It was Zhu Zhuqing.
At this moment, Zhu Zhuqing's stunningly cold face was covered in unprecedented solemnity.
She thought deeper and further than Ning Rongrong.
In her deep, beautiful eyes, shock spread continuously like ripples.
Instead of looking at Ning Rongrong, she slowly swept her gaze across the others in the plaza.
Teacher Li Bai, who was elegant, unfathomable, and could easily crush the combined efforts of the three of them without even using his Martial Soul.
Teacher Zhuang Zhou, who was dozing nearby, and the several other teachers in the rooms.
And also...
Dean Lu Xiao, who spent all day either eating or sleeping, yet gave people a feeling of being as unfathomable as an abyss.
A thought flashed through Zhu Zhuqing's mind like lightning, one that made her feel cold all over:
"The Sword Douluo's Seven Kill Sword and the Bone Douluo's Bone Dragon—these top-tier Martial Souls that shake the Continent—can only rank fifteenth and seventeenth on the Heavenly Dao Ranking..."
"These people in our Academy: Teacher Li Bai, Teacher Zhuang Zhou, and the Dean... where would their Martial Souls rank?"
'Could it be that every single person inside Big Dipper Academy, this seemingly inconspicuous place hidden deep within the Sunset Forest, possesses a Martial Soul that is stronger and more unimaginable than the Seven Kill Sword and the Bone Dragon?'
Once this thought arose, it spread wildly in Zhu Zhuqing's heart like weeds.
It made her involuntarily draw a sharp breath!
"Hiss—!"
A chill rushed from her tailbone straight to the crown of her head, and her delicate body even trembled slightly.
If her guess was true, then the foundation of Big Dipper Academy was truly terrifying!
Terrifying enough to completely overturn the existing power structure of the entire Douluo Continent!
She finally somewhat understood why Dean Lu Xiao always maintained such a careless demeanor, acting as if nothing mattered.
She also understood why the strength of Teacher Li Bai and the others was so unfathomable.
And why their teaching methods were so different from ordinary people.
Because the height they stood at and the power they possessed were fundamentally not on the same level as the Soul Masters in the outside World!
Ning Rongrong was startled by Zhu Zhuqing's sudden reaction.
Looking at her pale face and shocked eyes, she asked in confusion, "Zhuqing, what's wrong? Do you also think this ranking is too outrageous?"
Zhu Zhuqing slowly turned her head, looked at Ning Rongrong, and then looked at the Dean and the others nearby who seemed completely unsurprised by all this.
Her voice carried a hint of dryness and unprecedented seriousness.
"Rongrong... have you ever considered why the Martial Souls of Senior Sword Douluo and Senior Bone Douluo are ranked so low?"
Ning Rongrong was stunned for a moment: "W-why? Isn't it because there are even more powerful Martial Souls on the Continent?"
"Yes, more powerful Martial Souls."
Zhu Zhuqing's gaze swept across the entire Academy again, and she said quietly, "Then tell me, where would those more powerful Martial Souls be?"
Ning Rongrong wasn't stupid; she had just been momentarily flustered by the shock of the ranking.
Now that Zhu Zhuqing had pointed it out, she was startled.
Immediately following Zhu Zhuqing's gaze, when she saw Li Bai, the Dean, and the others...
An equally astonishing thought struck her mind like lightning!
Her eyes instantly widened, and she pointed at those people with a small finger, stammering, "Zhu Zhuqing, are you saying... could they be..."
She didn't finish her sentence, but the meaning was obvious!
The thought that for the past three years she had been studying and fighting alongside teachers who might possess Martial Souls superior to the Seven Kill Sword and the Bone Dragon...
...made Ning Rongrong feel dizzy, her worldview suffering an unprecedented impact!
She finally understood why Dean Lu Xiao had adopted such a perfunctory attitude just now.
Perhaps the rankings that seemed World-shattering to outsiders were actually commonplace in the eyes of the Dean and these teachers?
Perhaps they even thought the rankings were too low?
The two girls exchanged glances, both seeing immense shock and a hint of sudden realization in the other's eyes.